Skool vs Thinkific: Prices, Fees and Features Compared

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Short answer

Skool costs $9 a month on Hobby with a 10% + USD 0.30 fee per sale, or $99 on Pro with 2.9% + USD 0.30, processing included. Thinkific Start costs $109 a month ($82 billed annually), Grow $219 ($164) and Expand $499 ($374). Thinkific Payments charges 2.9% + USD 0.30 on US cards, and an extra gateway fee applies if you use Stripe or PayPal.

By Kabir NorthUpdated Prices checked
On this page 5 sections
  1. At a glance
  2. Fees at real revenue levels
  3. What you pay at USD 3,000 a month
  4. Who each fits, based on published features and pricing
  5. What this page doesn’t cover

At a glance

Skool vs Thinkific at a glance. Prices checked 27 Oct 2026. At USD 5,000 from 100 one-time sales, US cards.

Skool Pro

USD 99/mo

Platform fee
2.9% + USD 0.30; 3.9% + USD 0.30 (txn ≥ USD 900)
Card processing
Included
Entry price
Hobby USD 9 a month
Other plans
Pro USD 99 a month; yearly gives 2 months free
Fees on sales
10% + USD 0.30 (Hobby); 2.9% + USD 0.30 (Pro), processing included
Courses
Yes (Unlimited courses)
Communities
Yes (One community per group, unlimited members)
Students
Yes (Unlimited members)
Branding and apps
No branded app listed on the pricing page
Free trial
Yes (14-day free trial)
Fees
−USD 274
You keepUSD 4,726 (94.5%)
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Fees at real revenue levels

What you keep on each Skool and Thinkific plan
PlanYou keep at USD 1,000/moYou keep at USD 5,000/moYou keep at USD 20,000/mo
Skool ProUSD 866fees −USD 134USD 4,726fees −USD 274USD 19,201fees −USD 799

Assumes one-time sales at a USD 50 average price (so USD 1,000 = 20 sales), US cards, monthly billing, each platform's native payments. Excludes taxes, refunds and payout fees.

Change the numbers to match your business:

What you keep, by platform

Sale type
Plan billing

Adds the processor's international-card surcharge to that share of sales.

Skool Growth Boost is on by default: Skool takes 30% of revenue from members it brings in through Discovery. You can switch it off in Settings > Discovery.

Payment gateway
Plans to compare (up to 6)

Systeme.io

Skool

Teachable

Thinkific

Kajabi

Circle

LearnWorlds

Jump to results ↓

Keeps the most

You keep $4,726.00 (94.5%)

Skool Pro keeps the most at $5,000.00/mo gross.

  1. 1. Skool Pro

    $4,726.00 kept · 94.5%

    • You keep $4,726.00
    • Platform + processing $175.00
    • Plan cost $99.00

    Total fees $274.00 · effective fee 5.5%

    Visit Skool (opens in new tab) ↗
  • Skool Pro's fee tier (2.9% vs 3.9%) is chosen from your average transaction size ($900+ uses 3.9%).

Estimates only. Excludes taxes/VAT, refunds, chargebacks and payout fees unless stated. Not financial advice.

Last checked 27 Oct 2026 · Prices from skool.com/pricing, the Skool payments FAQ and thinkific.com/pricing (page modified 26 Oct 2026). Card rates from Thinkific Payments fees.

What you pay at USD 3,000 a month

Example: 100 members paying $30 a month. The Thinkific examples assume its stated 2.9% processing rate plus USD 0.30 per charge ($117) on Thinkific Payments. Check the exact rate for your country in Thinkific’s help centre.

  • Skool Hobby ($9): 10% + USD 0.30 = $330. $9 + $330 = $339. You keep $2,661.
  • Skool Pro ($99): 2.9% + USD 0.30 = $117. $99 + $117 = $216. You keep $2,784.
  • Thinkific Start ($82 billed annually): $117 + $82 = $199. You keep $2,801. Billed monthly ($109): you keep $2,774.
  • Thinkific Grow ($164 billed annually): $117 + $164 = $281. You keep $2,719.

Who each fits, based on published features and pricing

This is a reading of each vendor’s published plans and prices, not a tested recommendation. Neither product has been tested hands-on for this page.

  • Skool’s published plans fit creators who sell a community with courses and want a low entry price and one fee that covers processing.
  • Thinkific’s published plans fit course businesses that need quizzes, certificates, payment plans, B2B sales or a branded app, and can use an annual plan.

What this page doesn’t cover

It doesn’t rate course-player quality, engagement or support, which need hands-on use. See Skool pricing, Thinkific pricing, Thinkific vs Teachable, Kajabi vs Thinkific, Skool alternatives and the course platform fee calculator.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Skool cheaper than Thinkific?

On published plan prices, yes: Skool Hobby is $9 and Pro $99 a month, while Thinkific Start is $109 a month or $82 billed annually. Thinkific includes more course tools and B2B features, so compare what you would use.

Does Thinkific have a free plan?

No. Thinkific's pricing FAQ says there's no free plan; instead every account starts with a 30-day free trial. Skool lists a 14-day free trial and no free plan.

What fees does Thinkific charge on sales?

Thinkific Payments charges 2.9% + USD 0.30 on US cards, plus 1.5% on international cards, per Thinkific's help centre. Using Stripe or PayPal adds a third-party gateway fee that varies by plan. Skool's 10% or 2.9% + USD 0.30 includes processing.

Which is better for a community?

Skool's product is the community, with courses and calls inside each group. Thinkific includes communities alongside courses: 1 on Start, 3 on Grow and 10 on Expand.

Can I sell to companies?

Thinkific lists B2B sales and invoicing, including bulk seats for companies, on its higher plans. Skool's pricing page doesn't list invoicing or group seats.

Can I remove the platform's branding?

Thinkific removes its branding from Grow upwards, and sells a branded mobile app as an add-on. Skool's pricing page doesn't list white-labelling.